Trouble in Winchester Paradise
by Krisuvial
Summary: Dean (15) and Sam (10) are asleep when the police knock on their motel door. CPS has finally caught up to the Winchesters, and John is off on a hunt. The lady in charge of their case sure knows how to push Dean's buttons, and how to keep him in line. How will the brothers survive being separated? Can Dean play the game without losing Sammy? And will John even show up for trial?
1. CPS Sucks

**This came to me during my history class today... No way I'm abandoning my other SPN fic, just had to get this one out of me. I love young Winchesters.**

**Dean is 15, Sam is 10 (month is February, so there is the temporary 5-year age difference)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Supernatural, etc. If I did, well, I'd be pretty rich. Which I'm not, so...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Police! Open up!"_

_Dean shot out of bed at the insistent knocks and yelling. He hurried to the door, not wanting the cops to break down the motel door in their haste to enter the room. Glancing over at his still-sleeping brother, he released the deadbolt and turned the knob slowly._

"_O-officer," Dean greeted shakily. Why were the cops showing up here, at midnight?_

"_Dean Winchester?" the taller of the two cops demanded, letting themselves in. Dean nodded. "Your brother here?" Dean nodded again. "And your father?"_

"_D'n?" a small voice called out from the room. Dean stepped over to the bed, putting a comforting hand on his ten-year-old brother's shoulder._

"_Out for the night," Dean lied smoothly. "Put me in charge for the night."_

_The cops traded a look as a woman entered. "How about you tell the nice men the truth, hmmm?" she requested. _

_Dean's face fell. The woman's whole demeanor screamed CPS._

"_He... he had a job," Dean sighed. _

"_How long has he be gone?" tall cop demanded._

_Dean glanced at Sammy. "Just left earlier. Put me in charge for the day. It's no big deal."_

"_Boys, we know your father has not been around in a week," the shorter cop stated. "The motel has security footage that prove it."_

_Dean sank onto the bed. Sam let the covers fall from his torso and squirmed up against his big brother. Even he understood this was bed._

_All three adults spotted the bruises on the younger boys' arms._

"_We need to take you into protective custody," the tall cop said._

_Dean pulled Sam tight to his body. "Are we gonna get split up?" he demanded._

"_Not as long as you both behave," the lady promised._

_Dean sighed, standing. "C'mon, Sammy," he breathed. "Be good."_

_Sam nodded, eyes wide. Within moments they were seated in the back of a cop car, heading towards downtown._

* * *

Sam sat in the chair, nervously fingering the hem of his shirt. Well, technically it was Dean's shirt. They had been told to get dressed quickly, with barely any time to dig Sam's bag out from under the bed. It was easier to just grab one of his big brother's shirts.

"Samuel?" a woman's voice asked. She appeared next to him, sitting in a chair too.

"Sam," Sam whispered. "It's Sam."

The woman smiled. "Sam, then. I'm Jennie. How are you feeling?"

Sam looked down at his hands. "Tired. Want Dean."

"I just need you to answer a couple questions for me, Sam," Jennie said. "Then you can see Dean. Can you do that for me, answer a few questions?"

"I'm not s'posed to talk without Dean," Sam mumbled.

"Don't worry, Sam," Jennie replied. "Dean's gonna answer questions too. He'd want you to cooperate so you can be together."

Sam frowned. That didn't sound right to him. But he really wanted to be with Dean. He didn't like the big police man standing in the corner of the room. Police men meant bad news.

"Sam, look at me," Jennie ordered. Sam looked up, tears in his eyes. "Do you know where your father is?"

Sam shook his head. "N-no, Dean duh-does."

"Does your father leave you alone a lot?" Jennie wondered.

"No," Sam whimpered. "D-dean's always with me..."

Jennie could tell that the little boy was lying. "Now, now, don't lie to me. Boys who lie don't go to a new family with their big brother."

The tears streamed down Sam's face. "I want Dean!"

"Answer me honestly then!" Jennie commanded, her voice soft but authoritative. "Where did those bruises on your body come from? Does your father or Dean hit you?"

Sam shook his head, curls bouncing everywhere, eyes wide. "No! Never!"

"Then explain the bruising," Jennie instructed. "And I noticed you had some pretty bad cuts too. What happened?"

"I-I need D-dean!" Sam whined, hiccuping and curling in on himself. He couldn't tell the truth, he wasn't allowed to. No one would believe him.

* * *

Dean drummed his fingers on the table, the handcuff itching his hand. He and Sam had been separated as soon as they entered the police station. Sam was taken down one hall and Dean down another. Of course, Dean had threatened the cops holding him from getting to his little brother. He'd swung out at one and had been quickly subdued and cuffed. They'd took his phone, knife, and lock-pick so there was really no escape.

The CPS woman entered the room with a cop behind her. "Hello, Dean," she greeted, taking a seat across from the teenager.

"Where's my brother?" Dean demanded.

"He's waiting outside," the woman promised. "You two can be together as soon as we're done talking."

"I don't get why we're here," Dean huffed. He tried to scratch his nose but remembered his hands were cuffed. He frowned. "Think you can free me from these things? I ain't gonna hit no one else."

The woman smirked. "But you did hit a cop already."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Lady, they took my little brother away without warning me. It's my job to protect the kid."

The CPS woman nodded, looking at the cop. He came over and freed Dean's wrists. He rubbed them to get circulation back, the itch forgotten.

"Ready to talk, Dean?" the woman asked. "By the way, I'm Jennie."

"I talk, then I get Sammy back?" Dean countered.

"Yes, you can be together after we talk," Jennie promised.

"What do you want to know?" Dean relented.

"How often are you and Sam left alone?" Jennie questioned.

Dean bit his lip. "Once in a while. Dad goes on business trips sometimes. Leaves me in charge. I'm old enough."

"Why doesn't he leave you with a relative or friend?" Jennie asked.

"Usually he's not gone this long," Dean answered. That at least was the truth. The longer hunts were not as common as one-to-two day hunts. "And we have no other family. It's just us." And fat chance Dad would leave us with a 'friend'. He doesn't trust anyone after what Bobby did...

"Has your dad ever hit you, or Sam?" Jennie suddenly asked.

Dean blinked. "What?"

"Has your dad ever been violent towards you?" Jennie questioned. "Hit or yell?"

Dean frowned. Hell yeah, but not like he'd ever admit it. "No, never."

Jennie sighed. "It's ninety degrees and you're wearing a long-sleeve jacket," she noted. "Let me see your arms."

Dean shook his head.

"Kid, if you don't listen you won't get to see that brother of yours," the cop warned.

Dean ducked his head and shrugged his jacket off. He only wore a tank top under it, what he had worn to bed.

"How'd you get those bruises?" Jennie demanded.

Dean smirked. "Fighting at school," he lied. "New kids get picked on, you know."

Jennie pursed her lips. She didn't believe anyone would be stupid enough to take on this fifteen-year-old. "I don't believe you."

Dean shrugged, putting his jacket back on. Like she would believe the truth. He'd gotten beaten pretty bad by an angry spirit two days ago. His dad had picked him and Sam up from school early to do a simple salt-and-burn that got a little out of hand.

Dean mentally cursed. They'd probably already seen the bruises on Sam and questioned him about it...

"We found guns in the motel room," Jennie announced.

"Shit," Dean breathed. Louder he replied, "Guns?"

Jennie nodded. "Don't play dumb, boy. They were well-hidden, but easily accessible."

Dean sighed. "We hunt sometimes. Ya' know, deer and stuff."

"Final question, Dean," Jennie promised, doubt written all over her face. She wasn't believing a word he said. "When is your dad supposed to be back?"

Dean racked his brain. He hadn't said... "Day after tomorrow, give or take."

Jennie nodded. "Come on, I'll take you to your brother now."

* * *

As soon as Dean entered the room Sam shot up and ran to him. Dean took a few steps back, shocked. "Sammy, hey, shhh, what's wrong?"

Sam sobbed against Dean's chest. The door shut and Dean knelt down to his little brother's level. "Sammy? Did someone hurt you? What's wrong?"

Sam pulled away, but didn't move from Dean's grasp. "Th-they blamed Dad an-and y-you for my bru-bruises..."

"Ah," Dean breathed. "They tried to do that to me, too. It's ok, Sammy. They got nothin' on me or Dad. I'm gonna get my phone call and call Dad up and he'll get us far away from here, ok?"

"Juh-Jennie said we're guh-gonna go to a n-new f-family," Sam mumbled. "An' if I didn't a-answer, we... we... we wouldn't be tuh-together no more! An'... and I didn't an-answer! We're guh-gonna be separated! Deeeee!"

"Shhh, they can't do that to us," Dean promised. "They can't separate us. I won't let them. You know that. Dad will be here in no time and we'll get far from this place. Then no one can hurt us. Life'll go back to normal."

Sam took a deep breath. "Promise?"

The door slammed open. "Good news, boys!"

Dean and Sam both looked up at Jennie. "Dad's here?" Dean wondered. No way their dad found them. As far as Dean knew, no one bothered to contact him yet. Dean hadn't been in touch with him at least.

"No, you two won't be going with your dad," Jennie announced. "We have found two families willing to take you boys in until a trial can be set, probably sometime next week. The court will decide if you can go back to your father or if you'll be placed into the foster care system."

"Two families?" Dean asked.

"It's been decided that it's in everyone's best interest to have you both separated, with no contact, until the trial," Jennie explained as four cops walked into the room.

"Dean?" Sam squeaked.

"No, please, no," Dean begged. "Sammy's my responsibility! He can't be taken from me!"

"Dean, you're only fifteen," Jennie sighed, motioning for the cops to pull the boys apart. "You little brother is not your responsibility. He is your father's responsibility."

Dean shook his head. "You don't understand!"

Two cops, huge men, stepped over to Dean and lifted him off the ground. It only took one cop to pull Sam away.

"D'n!" Sam cried. "No!"

Dean glared at Jennie, struggling in the cops' holds. "You can't do this! He needs me!"

"Codependency to this degree is unhealthy," Jennie responded, watching the second two cops take Sam out of the room. The boy was crying and wiggling, unable to break free. "This is for the best, Dean. Maybe after the trial we can put you in the same foster home. It's just a week, Dean. Be good for a whole week and I'll personally make sure you two stay together. But that means no contact with Sam. At all. He'll be in a different school, different town. And obey your temporary foster parents. No broken rules. If you do anything out of line, I will make sure you two never can see each other again. This is for his safety even more so than yours. I saw his bruises and other injuries, Dean. I'm going to find out how he got them and who did it. Play the game and we all win. Cross me and you'll move up on my suspect list and find yourself in juvenile hall."

Dean bit his lip. "Fine! I'll play by your rules. Just... let me see him before the trial? I have to make sure he's ok before then."

"I'll set something up for Monday," Jennie promised. "Best behavior or else you won't get to see him."

Dean nodded. He would play by her rules for now. He had no other choice. Sammy was on the line...

* * *

**Thoughts? The dreaded Child Protective Services have finally caught up to the Winchesters... How are they going to handle it? Being separated and all? Reviews are lovely! This is only gonna be a few chapters, I've actually got the story planned out mostly.**

**-Kris-**


	2. Foster Families

**Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! I'm glad people are enjoying this story!**

**It's still a bit short for my taste, but the next chapters should get longer.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Sam sat quietly at the dining table with his temporary foster family. He hadn't said a word since he left the police station. All he did was look down and focus on first the pavement, then the inside of a cruiser, more pavement, and finally hardwood. He still wasn't too sure of what had happened in the last few hours. All he knew was he had been taken away from Dean and brought to this big fancy house too far away from the motel. How would his dad ever find him out here?

"Samuel is to have no contact with his brother or father until further notice," one of the cops instructed the man and woman seated opposite of Sam. "Ms. Marks has promised that the boys can be together for a while on Monday so long as both behave themselves. If you have any questions or problems her number is on the top of the paperwork. The trial will probably be set for either Thursday or Friday."

"Thank you, Officer Jones, Officer Madison," the man, Mr. Bentz, said.

"We are more than happy to have Samuel stay here for a few days," his wife, Mrs. Bentz, added.

They stood and saw the two officers out of the house. Sam remained at the table. They returned shortly.

"Samuel," Mr. Bentz said. "Are you tired? Hungry?"

Sam's lip quivered. He shook his head. He just wanted Dean.

"Look up when spoken to," Mrs. Bentz ordered. Sam slowly looked up. "Kyle asked you a question. Use your words. Would you like something to eat or drink?"

"No, Ma'am," Sam whispered.

"Are you tired?" Kyle asked.

Sam nodded. "Yessir."

"Well, we will let you sleep for a couple hours," Kyle decided. "Normally we will not let you sleep past seven, but since I am sure you have not slept much tonight, we will make an acceptation. You will start school on Monday, since today is Friday. Later Maria will take you to register and to get clothing. Follow me and I will show you your room."

Sam silently followed Kyle up to the second floor. His room was down the hall from the master bedroom. It was huge, with a large bed in the center. Sam climbed up and slid under the blankets, barely noticing how soft and comfy it was. He ached to curl up against Dean. This was the first night that Sam was denied that in what may have been ever.

Kyle turned out the light and softly shut the door. Sam cried himself to sleep for the first time in years.

* * *

Dean sat on the couch. From what he'd seen so far that house wasn't all that great, but it was far better than any motel or apartment he'd ever been forced to call home. His leg bounced impatiently as his foster mom and Jennie talked outside the front door. He already knew he had to behave himself, he didn't need to hear it again for the hundredth time. He'd be good if it meant he could be with Sammy again.

"Hi!" a little girl exclaimed, running into the room. She grinned up at Dean, blonde curls bouncing as she stopped moving. "I'm Lily."

Dean gave her a small smile. "I'm Dean," he replied.

A little boy that looked like a carbon copy of Lily, but with shorter hair, skidded into the room next. "Tina said not to come in here yet!" he hissed.

Lily grinned. "But Dean's nice!" she exclaimed.

"How can you tell?" the boy demanded.

"He's got nice eyes, Max," Lily stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Dean relaxed. "Don't worry, I wouldn't hurt you guys."

Max relaxed then too. "Sorry..."

Dean shrugged. Whatever reason those two were in the system, it had to be bad if the boy couldn't trust anyone around his sister. _Sound familiar, Winchester?_

"We're twins!" Lily announced, climbing onto the couch next to Dean. "We're six."

Max climbed up to sit next to his sister. They both looked at Dean.

"I'm fifteen," he announced. The twins' eyes widened.

"You're so old!" they exclaimed. Dean laughed.

The woman/foster mom entered the room then. Dean heard Jennie's car drive away.

"Welcome to our home, Dean," she greeted. "I'm Tina McRoy. Call me Tina. I see you've met Lily and Max. You'll meet the others later, I'm sure. Are you hungry?"

Dean nodded. "They didn't feed us... me... before coming here."

"Us?" Lily asked. She followed Dean and Tina into the kitchen. "There's only you here."

Dean sat at the table. "Um, my little brother was taken somewhere else."

Suddenly Max appeared next to Dean. His eyes smoldered. "They took him away from you?" He pulled Lily close to him, as if to keep someone from taking her away. Lily laid her head on his shoulder in response.

"Just for a few days," Dean sighed. A long few days...

* * *

"Samuel? Time to wake up!"

Sam blinked himself awake. A woman was standing over him. It all came crashing back to him. The motel, police station, being questioned and then torn from Dean... The ten-year-old started to cry again.

"Now, now, no more of that," the woman, Maria, ordered. She had a no-nonsense voice, but it also held some semblance of kindness. Kinder than his dad's voice, at least. Sam struggled to control his tears. He slipped out of bed and silently followed the woman downstairs.

"First we will go sign you up for school," Maria stated, placing a plate with eggs and toast in front of Sam. He frowned at the eggs, eating only the toast. He gladly drank the orange juice provided. "Then we will go get your uniform and a few other outfits."

It didn't take Sam long to finish the toast. Maria shook her head when he started to get up. "Before you may leave the table you must always ask permission."

Sam looked down at his hands. "Can I get up?"

"No, eat your eggs first," Maria ordered.

"I don't like eggs," Sam sighed.

"Samuel..." Maria warned.

"It's Sam," Sam replied.

"Samuel, eat your eggs right now," Maria commanded. "If you don't I won't let you see your brother on Monday."

Tears formed in Sam's eyes as he picked his fork up and stabbed the eggs. He ate quickly, trying to get it over with as fast as possible. He really hated eggs.

"Now go put on your shoes," Maria ordered. "We have a lot to do."

* * *

Dean woke to the screeches of little children. He stretched in bed, slowly remembering everything that happened yesterday. Apparently he'd be starting a new school today, on a Friday. It was always the worst day to start on.

Dean threw on a clean outfit. An officer had come by during the night with his duffel from the motel. Pleased to see that his salt lines hadn't been broken overnight, Dean made his way down to the cramped kitchen.

Lily and Max sat next to him at the table. Across from him the other two younger kids, Collin and Tyler, sat already digging into cereal. The only other member of this strange family he hadn't met yet was just stumbling into the room, her hair loosely tied in a bun and pajamas still on.

"You must be Dean," she said, glancing up at him. "I'm Kat."

Dean nodded, picking at own bowl of cereal. He was thinking about Sam. It was all he could think about. He hadn't slept very well without his little brother curled up tight against chest. The room was too quiet, the bed too empty.

Twenty minutes later everyone was herded into a van. Tina took the little kids to the elementary school before heading to the high school for Dean and Kat. Kat grudgingly brought Dean to the main office, then ditched him. The teenager sighed, then made his way to the secretary. It wasn't the first time he'd have to navigate a school by himself. And it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"I'm here to pick up my schedule," Dean announced. The elderly secretary flipped through papers on her desk.

"Winchester?" she asked. Dean nodded. She handed over a class list. "Rooms should be easy to find. 100-level is first floor, 200-level is second, and so on. A-wing on the left, B in the center, C on the right. Your teachers will have books for you. Have them all sign the paper and bring it back to me at the end of the day."

Dean nodded. At fifteen he could be a sophomore, but moving around so much caused him to fall behind so much he was still considered a freshman. Oh well, it was easier that way.

Finding the classes was easy, for once. His locked was in the middle of the first floor, near his last period class. Throughout the day he actually talked to a few people, sat with some people at lunch. A few girls caught his eye, and he caught the eye of many, many more girls. Under any other circumstances Dean could actually enjoy this school, but knowing when he returned "home" there would be no little brother to talk his ear off put a damper on it. This was going to be a long, awful weekend.

* * *

Friday evening John pulled up to his motel. Parking the Impala outside, he grabbed a few grocery bags and let himself into the room. He was surprised not to find his boys there waiting for him. He figured since it was such a nice day they were outside enjoying themselves. His hunt had gone particularly well and he was one step closer to finding the beast that had claimed his only love's life. He was in such a good mood he wanted to treat his boys to a special dinner.

John called Dean's cellphone first after putting his groceries away. It went straight to voice-mail. John frowned. Dean _never_ turned his phone off. Something was wrong.

It was then that John spotted the note on the table. He shivered, opening it up. It was printed on fancy police-station paper.

_John Winchester, Dean and Samuel have been taken into protective custody. You are being charged with child neglect, abandonment, and endangering the welfare of children. The trial is set for Friday, February 13, at 3PM. If you have any desire to retain custody of one of both of the boys, you will be present with a lawyer to plead your case. You are to have no contact with either child in the meantime. CPS has handled placing them in separate foster homes for the time being. Please call the CPS office at your earliest convenience. The town of Kamala police._

John dropped the note. He pulled out his phone, dialing Bobby's number. The older hunter picked up on the third ring. "Winchester? What do you want?"

"Bobby, it's CPS," John groaned. "They got my boys."

* * *

**What do you think? I'm enjoying writing this story a lot. Questions, comments, concerns? Let me know!**

**~Kris~**


	3. Saturday

**Sorry for the long wait! I re-made my outline so maybe I'll update more often.**

**This chapter takes place on Saturday.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Sam woke up slowly, groaning in pain. The alarm across his room was blaring. 6:30 AM. Sam groaned and forced himself out of bed, shuffling to his dresser. He turned his alarm off and rested his head against the wall.

"SAMUEL!" Kyle Bentz hollered. "GET DOWN HERE NOW."

Sam shivered. He'd been living with the Bentz's for just over twenty-four hours. He'd learned a couple of things in this short time. One, that the Bentz's were most definitely not human. Two, that they were both incredibly strong and Sam was powerless against them. And three, that if he did _anything_ out of line, he wouldn't get to see Dean on Monday.

Sam quickly changed into the nice clothes Maria had bought him yesterday. A light blue button-down top and a pair of black slacks. No jeans, no t-shirts, no sweatpants. As soon as he was dressed he made his way downstairs.

"Sir?" Sam asked, his voice soft.

"We are going to be gone for most of the day," Kyle announced. "Here's a list of chores for you to complete before we get back. I expect them all to be finished and you to be kneeling by the front door when we get back. That should be around six tonight. Don't even think about touching the fridge or the pantry in the meantime. If you do well enough today I'll allow you some supper. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes, Sir," Sam mumbled.

Kyle grinned over at his wife. "Let's go, dear."

As soon as his foster parents left, Sam tried to get out. All of the doors and windows were locked. He couldn't even get the blinds to raise.

Sam started crying as he returned to the list Kyle had left for him. "It's okay, just for a little while," Sam mumbled. "Dad and Dean will get me out of here. I can be brave 'til then."

The tears dried up and Sam set to work, even though he knew he'd never finish the list in time.

* * *

"Dean! Wake up!"

Dean blinked, turning to the young voices calling from his door. "Huh?" he asked.

"C'mon, wake up, please!" Lily begged. "Momma said you can take us to the park. If you wanna?"

Dean got up slowly, stretching. "Park?" he asked. "Uh, sure."

Lily and Max gave him twin blinding smiles. "You're the best, Dean!"

Dean smirked. "Now get outa here so I can change."

Lily and Max ran away, letting the door slam shut. Dean ran a hand over his morning stubble. All he could do was hope that Sam was okay and could hang on until Monday when he could finally see his little brother.

Dean changed and shaved quickly. Kat slid him a plate of pancakes and bacon as soon as he sat at the table. "Don't get used to the service, though," she warned, adding a mug of coffee to his collection. "I'm just grateful you're on kid duty today."

Dean shrugged. "Keeps me busy," he replied. "Thanks."

Kat bit her lip, checking around the room quickly. "If Tina asks, I went to my friend Laura's house, got it?"

"And really you're gonna be…?" Dean questioned.

"None of your business!" Kat snapped. She grabbed her purse off the table.

"Listen, whatever you're doing, give me a call if you need help," Dean offered. "Tina got me a temporary phone. I can pretty much help with anything."

Kat gave Dean a small, confused smile. "Thanks, I think. I can handle myself, though."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, I don't doubt that. But just in case."

"Thanks," Kat relented. "Gimme your phone so I can put my number in. I'll be downtown, with some friends. Please don't let Tina know. I'll get into so much trouble."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I bet," he replied. "Don't worry, secret's safe with me."

Kat left after that. Dean finished his plate and was instantly attacked by the four younger kids. "Park?" Lily wondered.

"Let's go," Dean said with a laugh.

"Here," Tyler said, holding a few bills over to Dean. "Tina gave us money to get lunch while we're out. Said she'll be home in time to make supper, around six."

"Looks like you guys get to give me the tour of the town, then," Dean stated. He stashed the bills in his wallet and grabbed a jacket. At least they were down south and it was nice out.

The walk to the park took about ten minutes. The three boys ran off with a football they'd brought, leaving Dean alone with Lily. She dragged him over to a tree and sat leaning against him. "Tell me 'bout your brother," the six-year old demanded.

Dean sighed, keeping an eye on the three boys. "He's four years younger than me. Almost as old as Tyler. He's got long hair, for a boy. Almost as long as yours! Our dad doesn't like it but Sammy's my responsibility so I let him keep it that way."

"Your 'sposbility?" Lily questioned, cocking her head to the side.

Dean smirked. "It's my job to take care of him. Make sure he eats all his veggies and listens to grown-ups."

Lily made a face. "Doesn't sound like fun."

"It's a lot of work," Dean stated. "But I love him, so it's okay."

Lily nodded seriously. "Max takes care of me. He's a good brother. So that makes you a good brother too, if you take care of _your _brother."

Dean ruffled Lily's hair. "I try. C'mon, let's get those boys to let you play, too."

Lily's face lit up. "They _never_ let me play!"

Dean laughed. "I'll change that, don't worry!"

* * *

By Saturday night Bobby had arrived at the hotel. John was completely wasted when he opened the door.

"Bobby!" the eldest Winchester slurred. "Thankssss fer comin'."

Bobby rolled his eyes and threw his duffel onto the second bed. He made some instant coffee and shoved it in the other man's hands. "What happened?"

John collapsed onto a chair, sipping the bitter brew. "They took mah boys, Bob-eh."

"Who? Why?" Bobby demanded, opening the fridge.

"CPS," John sighed. "The cops. Fuck, I lost 'em both."

Bobby cursed. He pulled out the remaining beers from the fridge and dumped each one down the drain. Next went the whiskey and the tequila. John didn't even put up a fight, just watching with unfocussed eyes as he drained the coffee.

"Now, we gotta git you straightened up if we're gonna git them boys back," Bobby stated. "We gotta git us a lawyer. Got anyone who owes ya a favor?"

John nodded. "McKalley," he stated.

"Good," Bobby replied. "I'm gonna call 'im up in the mornin'. I'm gonna call up Jim, too. It's more'n likely you ain't gonna git custody of them boys. Jim's our best bet."

John just nodded. "Damn, I really screwed up here."

"Got that right," Bobby agreed. "All's we can do is hope for the best. Git some sleep, you'll need it."

* * *

**What do you think? Sam's got a pretty awful foster family. In this story he knows about _parts_ of the supernatural. Basic monsters like ghosts and witches. He doesn't know about the more dangerous monsters yet! Just so y'all know ^_^**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated! **

**Peace out ~**

**Kris**


	4. Sunday

I'm back finally! At least with chapter for. Y'all can thank Nalana88 for reminding me I have a story to update. Lucky for y'all, I have much of the rest of this story written. AND I know how it's gonna end. I'm so ahead of myself here.

By the way, I've been reading The Brotherhood AU. And I love Caleb. So I brought him here! He's 21 in my story. Remember, Dean is 15 and Sam is 10 (about two months from being 11).

Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter! I love you all 3

ENJOY!

* * *

_Knock-knock-knock. Knock-knock-knock. Knock-knock-knock._

"DEAN!"

Dean blinked awake, blocking the incoming sunlight with one hand as the knocking continue.

"DEAN! Mama says wake up!"

Dean groaned. "Why?" he called out.

The knocking stopped. "Church!" the young voice exclaimed. "Hurry up!"

Dean stretched, getting out of bed. He quickly did his business and went straight to the kitchen, not bothering to change out of his sleep clothes.

Lily and Max were eating cereal at the table. Tina was pouring orange juice into cups for them. Kat was cooking some eggs. The other two boys were nowhere to be found.

Dean grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat at the table. Tina turned her attention to him. "Dean?" she asked. "Didn't Max tell you we have church today?"

Dean nodded, scratching the back of his neck. "Um, I don't exactly _do_ church, Ma'am."

Kat smirked and covered a laugh with a cough.

"Well, while you're living here with us you'll attend church," Tina stated, her tone leaving no room for argument. Not that Dean would argue with her. He was getting a chance to meet with Sammy tomorrow, if he behaved. He wouldn't screw it up just by refusing to go to church.

"What do I wear?" he asked, biting back the usual sarcasm

Kat looked at Dean with surprise. Dean rolled his eyes. She'd expected him to make a big deal of it.

"What are the nicest clothes you have?" Tina asked, shock evident in her voice.

"Um…" Dean mumbled, thinking quickly. "I think I own at least one pair of jeans without holes…"

This time Kat did laugh out loud. Tina shot her a look.

"That's fine," Tina agreed. "Just look presentable. We leave in half an hour."

Tina left the room with the younger four, needing to get them ready. Kat took a seat at the table and dug into her eggs. "Thought you'd at least put up a fight, tough guy," she commented.

Dean sighed, looking into his cereal bowl. "I can't," he stated. "I'm supposed to see my brother tomorrow, so long as I behave. I gotta play by the rules."

"You don't seem like someone used to playing by the rules," Kat noted. Dean gave her a look. "Hey, I should know. I'm no saint myself. At least the church isn't so bad. We just sit there for an hour, then Tina takes us out for lunch. And the little kids even get to go to 'Children's Chuch', so they're not botherin' us the whole time. I bring a notebook and doodle the whole time. Don't even gotta pay attention, just gotta be there."

Dean nodded and smirked. "Now that I can handle."

* * *

Pain. That's the first thing that registered as Sam slowly woke up. He groaned, trying to roll over and get Dean to put his strong arms around…

Sam's eyes shot open. He gasped, forcing himself to sit up. He stomach growled painfully. It all came back to him quickly. He was at the Bentz's house. His non-human foster parents. They'd gotten back late last night and his "chore list" hadn't been completed. He somewhat remembers Maria screaming at him while Kyle beat him. He dimly remembers begging, pleading for the pain to stop. He barely remembers being dragged up to "his bedroom" and Maria tucking him in, whispering something about not being good, not listening, being such a terrible little child and how this wasn't part of the deal.

The sun was high in the sky, meaning it was probably about noon. Sam's bladder was aching. He forced himself to stand and go into the little bathroom connected to his room. He took care of his full bladder, then ran a hot shower. The water stung his damaged body, washing away the dried blood that clung to his marred skin. Once he was done he put on his new clothes and quietly made his way downstairs.

The house was silent. A note hung on the fridge, letting Sam know his foster parents had gone to church and would be back at three and he better get the rest of the chores done by then. There was a padlock on the fridge and on the pantry so he couldn't help himself to any food.

Sam sighed. He pulled a chair over to the tall counter and quickly washed his foster parents' breakfast dishes. He still had to mop the kitchen and do the laundry. He decided to get the laundry done first, throwing everything into the washer and pouring in a bunch of soap. He was nervous, never having done laundry before. Sure, he always went with Dean to the laundromat, but he'd never been in charge of anything but carrying the lighter bag and asking the older women for quarters. He set the washer to "normal" and went to mop the kitchen. By the time he finished the wash was done. He shoved all of the wet clothes into the dryer and turned it on.

Sam checked the list from yesterday. He decided to vacuum again, just in case. Once the entire house was vacuumed, the dryer beeped. Mr. Bentz's car pulled into the driveway.

Sam was pulling dry clothes from the dryer when his foster parents walked in. Maria came into the laundry room to check his progress and screamed.

"You good for nothing…" she snapped, grabbing what had once been a white blouse. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Kyle came stomping into the room as soon as he heard his wife's shouting. Maria showed him the blouse and pointed out all the other clothes that were supposed to be white, not pink. Kyle grabbed Sam's arm and wrenched him out into the living room.

He didn't even say a word. Maria watched, a sadistic smile on her face as Kyle hit Sam. By the third punch Sam was crying. Before long he could barely stand. Kyle finished with throwing Sam to the ground and stomping on his right arm with his boots. Sam screamed.

Maria sighed. "Great, now we gotta take the brat to the hospital."

Kyle shrugged. "You do it. I've gotta call the boss."

Maria grabbed Sam's good arm and forced him up. "Quit screaming. I'm taking you to the hospital. I'm telling them you got hit by a car while playing in the street. The car drove off without stopping. If you say or do _anything_ to make them question my story, you'll never see your family again. I'll kill them myself and sell you to the highest bidder. Got it, boy?"

Sam nodded, tears pouring down his face. He whimpered, limping behind Maria to the car. He had to behave, even if his foster parents were evil. He had to see Dean again.

* * *

Jim had shown up early Sunday night, leaving his church in the hands of his junior pastor. He, Bobby, and John were discussing course of action when someone pounded on the door.

"JOHN WINCHESTER OPEN UP AND LET ME IN RIGHT NOW!"

John's eyes narrowed as he stood and opened up the door to the small motel room. Caleb Reaves was standing before him, face red with anger and fear in his eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" John demanded.

"I _saw_, John," Caleb hissed. "Why wasn't I called? You should have told me you had a hunt and needed someone to watch the boys. You'd know I'd come! And now they're gone, and Sam's…"

Caleb hissed as a vision hit him. Jim jumped up and helped the much younger hunter into the room, seating him on the edge of one of the twin beds. John just stood, mouth slightly agape, in shock. He hadn't really considered calling his boys' favorite babysitter.

A few minutes of tense silence went by before Caleb regained his senses. He blinked, took a few deep breaths, and looked up at the three worried hunters before him.

"Caleb, what about Sammy?" John asked.

Bobby handed Caleb a glass of water. The young hunter drank it quickly, giving Bobby a grateful look. "I saw him a couple times. Dean too, but he's fine, just upset. But Sam's hurting in the physical sense. What happened here? Why are the boys separated?

John sighed. "I was on a hunt and someone called CPS. I don't know why or when, but I wasn't here when the cops busted in and took the boys into protective custody. They put my boys in separate foster home and won't let me see either until the trail this Friday."

Caleb bit his lip. "I don't think Sam's safe. Fuck, I _know_ he isn't safe. I don't think that his foster parents are human. I see him hurt and I call feel his pain and fear."

"Can you tell if it's happening now or the future?" Bobby wondered.

Caleb shook his head. "I'm sorry, I have no clue. But it's freakin' me out. Why didn't you just call me, John? I know I give you grief about babysitting, but I can't stand the thought of those boys being on their own. Not with both monsters _and _humans out there to get revenge on you."

"I hadn't expected to be gone so long," John snapped. "And Dean's old enough to take care of them both."

"Dean's only fifteen!" Caleb cried. "Mac didn't even leave _me_ alone at fifteen for days at a time, let alone care for someone younger than me too! Hell, he didn't even let me babysit more than twenty-four hours for you until I was nearly seventeen!"

"You better stop questioning my parenting, boy!" John hissed.

"Caleb, John, stop," Jim ordered. "This arguing isn't helping any. Now, there's nothing we can do to help the boys tonight. Bobby, you stay here with John. Caleb and I will get another room. We will go out first thing in the morning and see what we can do. We will get those boys back with us and then figure out the rest."

"Fine," John muttered. "First thing."

* * *

Reviews are lovely! I thank you all for following along so far and hope it's been enjoyable so far. Is there anything you'd like to see in this story? The next chapter is "Monday", and the boys will *hopefully* be reunited, for a short while. Hope you all have a great weekend and maybe you'll hear from me again sooner!

-Kris-


	5. Monday

**What is this? Another chapter so soon?**

**I've been waiting for this chapter to come actually! It's been mostly written since Day 1!**

**THANKS TO MY LOVELY REVIEWERS! Love you all.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Monday dragged on and on for both Dean and Sam. Finally, after what felt like a hundred years to Dean, it was time to be reunited with his little brother, if only for a short while.

"Sammy!" Dean exclaimed as his brother walked into the little office room that had been arranged to be their meeting place. He was lounging on a couch, flipping channels on the TV while he waited for his brother to show up.

Sam didn't look up, hiding his face beneath long bangs. "Hey, Dean."

Dean gave his brother a tight hug, quickly letting go when Sam gasped in pain. Big brother tilted Sam's chin up, looking the kid in the eyes. Eyes that normally held nothing but curiosity and determination, which now held only pain and fear.

"Sammy? What's wrong?" Dean asked, his voice dropping to a whisper. He'd never seen his baby brother like this before.

Sam fell to his knees, Dean following him. "I... they... De..."

Tears fell from the ten-year-old's swollen face, his small body wracked with sobs. Dean sat them both against the wall and pulled his little brother close to him, so Sam was resting against his chest. "What happened, Sammy?" _Who do I need to kill?_

Sam glanced over at the door. "Um... there was... a fight..."

Dean snorted. "Don't lie to me, little brother. You don't get into fights. Besides, I know you're stronger than you look. And people don't typically break their arms in schoolyard scuffles."

Sam shivered. "They did it." His voice was small, barely audible. Like just saying those three words were a death sentence.

"Whose they, Sammy?" Dean questioned.

"_Them_," Sam whispered, voice cracking. "My... foster parents. Dean... there's something evil..."

Dean frowned. He'd read the files on Sam's foster parents earlier. They have previously had four other foster children at various ages and were filthy rich, always spoiling the kids in their care, making sure their adoptive families were up to par and had the resources needed to help the kids. They were church-going, Bible-toting, charity-donating _good people_. The four other kids had nothing but good things to say about their old foster parents.

"Evil? How, Sammy?" Dean wondered.

Sam looked up, eyes frightened. "They... they have black eyes, Dean!"

Dean froze as Sam sobbed louder. Black eyes. Evil. It wasn't long before Sam was asleep, not letting go of his fists in Dean's shirt.

"Dad... we need to get dad..." Dean mumbled. "Sammy..."

* * *

Just as Dean was about to finally wake his brother from the impromptu nap, their caseworker returned. Jennie looked both surprised and worried to see Sam asleep and so clearly upset, and Dean a dangerous mix of nervousness and anger.

"What happened?" the young woman demanded, kneeling in front of the boys.

"They... he said… his foster parents... they hurt Sammy," Dean whispered, broken as tears filled his own eyes. Damn it. He was the older brother, supposed to take care of Sammy. It was his most important job, more important than hunting. And he failed. Again.

Jennie pursed her lips. "I find that hard to believe, Dean. We already went over the kind of people they are, after all."

Dean sighed, mentally debating for a long moment. "Yeah, upstanding citizens and all that. But it's not really _them_ that's hurting the kid... Have you ever heard of possession?"

Jennie sat back on her heels. "Possession, Dean?"

"Okay, please just hear me out," Dean begged. "I know this sounds crazy. Um, you know how there were all those kids' deaths in the old cemetery this month? It was a ghost- a real, bad ghost. My dad... we're hunters. We destroy stuff like ghosts. My dad went to take care of a vampire sighting a few towns' over. That's why he hasn't been around. Anyway, I think demons are possessing Sam's foster parents... he said he saw black eyes, which is the main feature that distinguishes demons from humans. It kinda makes sense 'cuz demons are always trying to get us, I guess. But you've got to get Sam away from them! They are gonna kill him!"

Jennie was careful to keep her face blank, but Dean saw the disbelief and pity in her eyes. "You don't believe me..." Dean breathed.

"I believe you are scared for your brother," Jennie said slowly. "But there is nothing wrong about his foster parents. Mr. Bentz told me what happened. Sam was injured playing with some kids at the park. An accident. Now, Dean, I'm not sure what's gotten into you, but it's time you get some help. Sam's foster parents are ready to take him home, he needs to rest in a bed. Doctor's orders. I'm going to take you to St. Mary's where you'll get some help."

Dean's eyes widened. "No, no, please, let me stay with Sammy," he begged. Sam woke up as Dean tightened his grip. "I can't lose him!"

Two policemen entered the room. "Dean, let your brother go," Jennie ordered, hands on her hips.

"De'?" Sam gasped, eyes widening in realization. "No... stay..."

Dean loosened his grip a little and Sam relaxed, curling closer to his brother. "You can't lock me up... I'm not crazy... Sam needs me!"

Jennie frowned. "Dean, this is unhealthy! You will both be treated, separately, and kept separated until the trial. There the judge will determine if you two can stay together or not. Remember that everything you do, how you act, what you say, until that point will be taken into consideration."

Dean's heartbeat sped up. He was fairly certain Jennie would make sure they were separated and had absolutely no contact with each other at this point. But if Dean could convince the judge that they should stay together... he'd have to play along for a few more days.

Dean relinquished his hold on his baby brother. "Don't worry, kiddo," he whispered, brushing hair out of Sam's eyes. "We'll play their game for a while longer. It's what Dad would want. And Dad knows best."

Sam blinked, sniffling. He knew the code- they had to use it so much it was second nature know. What Dad would want- don't say anything to screw it up and we'll be fine. Dad knows best- Dad will get us out of here and these SOBs would pay big time.

"I'm scared," Sam replied. "But I'll be brave." I don't want you to leave me but I promise to hold on until you or Dad get me out of this.

Jennie smiled softly. This warmed her heart, the brothers this way. She had no doubt that Dean was innocent, that he hadn't been the one to hurt Sam. But she was worried about the theories that the older boy had just spewed. A trip up to St. Mary's Psychiatric Hospital wouldn't be a bad idea after all.

* * *

"They're taking Dean to St. Mary's." Caleb announced, hanging up his cell phone. He'd discovered what high school the older Winchester was attending and easily found out he had a foster sister with both a cell phone and a dislike of following rules. Kat had called as soon as she'd heard the news.

"Ain't that a psych hospital?" Bobby demanded.

Caleb nodded. "Apparently he freaked about something and told his caseworker all about the supernatural, and what his family does for a living."

John groaned, hands running through his buzzed hair. "We're so screwed now."

Jim looked up from his Bible. "I'll go to the hospital and see him," he offered. "They'll let me in to speak with patients. Tomorrow, that is. I suspect it's much too late now."

"They're gonna try to get the boys to admit what they know about you, John," Bobby realized. "Get a real case against you."

"Cops'll use a lie detector test," Jim surmised.

Caleb snorted and rolled his eyes. "All they gotta do is promise to keep the boys together and they'll sing."

"Do you really think they'll oust their Daddy like that?" Bobby wondered. "I'd think they'd be more loyal."

"Dean's first and most important duty is to protect Sam," Caleb sighed. "He'll do whatever it takes to do that."

John groaned again. "Goddamit, Dean! I've gotta get outa here."

"Just go," Caleb snapped, furious that his mentor was more worried about himself than the two boys he raised. "Let us get the boys back. You won't be given custody of them anyway."

Pain flashed in John's eyes as he stood and started gathering his things. "I'll come get them once this mess is over with."

Jim and Bobby traded looks. If Jim was granted custody of one or both boys, they both knew that they wouldn't let John just come reclaim them. Not unless the boys really wanted to leave. And even then it wouldn't be without a fight.

"I'd better get some rest if I'm to visit the hospital in the morning," Jim decided.

"We should check into a new hotel," Bobby stated. "We can probably expect a visit from the cops here tonight."

"Any chance I can come with you to see Dean tomorrow?" Caleb asked the pastor.

"You can come with me, Caleb," Jim answered. "We'll convince them you're a psych student. I'm sure it would help Dean a lot to see you again."

Caleb grinned. "I like that plan."

The three hunters watched as John silently finished packing. He left without a word, racing off into the night in his Impala. Friday couldn't possibly come fast enough for any of them.

* * *

**Reviews my lovely readers! I live for them you know :)**

**Now I'm off to finish a research paper I've put off for the last two months! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!**

**-Kris-**


	6. Tuesday

**I think this is the longest chapter I've posted for this story. I just didn't want to end it!**

**Thanks for the reviews my lovely readers!**

**Warning: I know nothing about Psych Hospitals. I made it all up with a little help from Wikipedia. Please don't get mad at me. This is a work of FICTION after all.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

Caleb pulled up in front of the large hospital, sliding into one of the available visitor parking spaces. A dark sign in front of the building read "St. Mary's Psychiatric Hospital". Caleb shivered at the sight alone.

"Are you okay to do this?" Jim asked as he led the younger hunter into the main doors.

Caleb nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Let's go see how much trouble our boy is in, then," Jim said. Caleb nodded again and followed the pastor into the hospital. They were quickly permitted entrance to the psychiatric hospital, but instructed to see the head doctor on the crisis stabilization wing. They had to wait for about twenty minutes before the doctor was able to come see them.

"I am terribly sorry for your wait," the doctor said. "I'm Doctor Travis Sarat."

"Jim Murphy," Jim replied, shaking the man's hand. "This is a member of my congregation, Caleb Reaves. He is studying psychology at New York University. We're visiting different places he's expressed interest in working someday."

"Is that so?" Travis asked Caleb. The boy nodded.

"Yes, Sir," Caleb answered. "I'm especially interested in more difficult patients, the kinds most people want to avoid. I just want to help. I had a rough life growing up myself and want to be able to help others."

"Well, you've certainly come to the right place," Travis laughed. "I'm one of the only doctors around that will handle some of the cases we get. We've got one boy right now causing quite a bit of trouble for my nurses."

"I would love to speak with him, if I may," Jim requested. "I've helped many patients in my time."

Travis nodded. "That may be a good idea. My patient has some _interesting_ paranoia regarding the supernatural. A pastor may help."

Caleb smirked. Somehow he had expected getting in to see Dean would be much more difficult.

"I'll just need you two to sign some confidentiality papers," Travis requested. He went through the explanation process and both hunters quickly signed their names at the end.

They walked down a brightly lit hallway. The walls were painted in various murals and the ground was carpeted. The doors were different colors, but solidly made and locked. Halfway down the hall Travis stopped and opened a dark blue door. A folder with "Dean Winchester" was hanging on the door.

Caleb took a deep breath as he walked inside. His friend was sitting on the bed, padded restraints keeping him from moving too much. He glared at the doctor, then just looked surprised when his attention turned to Pastor Jim. He looked extremely confused when he finally spotted Caleb.

"Dean, this man is a pastor," Travis stated, catching the teen's attention once more. "He came to talk with you, if that's okay."

Dean nodded sluggishly. Travis sighed, turning to Jim. "He hasn't said a single word since I talked to him yesterday. If you have any trouble, there's a call button on the wall." The man's pager went off. "I've got to see another patient right now. When you're finished, press the intercom by the door. It'll connect you to the nurses' station and someone will unlock the door for you."

Travis rushed out after that. The two hunters waited a full minute before speaking.

"Dean?" Caleb asked. He sat on the bed next to his friend. "Dude, what happened? You should'a called me soon as John left you two."

Dean blinked, smiling lightly. "Ca…leb…?"

Jim frowned, flipping through Dean's folder. "They've got him on some pretty strong drugs. Some I've never even heard of."

"He's definitely drugged up real good," Caleb muttered. Dean was having trouble just focusing on the older hunters in the room.

"Based off of intake counseling and two visits with Doctor Travis last night, they've diagnosed him preliminarily with grand religious delusions, unhealthy codependency, separation anxiety, and suicidal tendencies," Jim stated. "It says he was physically violent with the police escort and the nurses last night and this morning, which is why he's drugged up now. And why he's restrained."

Caleb sighed. He reached out and ran a hand through Dean's longer-than-normal hair. "Damn, kid, you gotta quit causin' so much trouble."

Dean frowned. "S'rry," he mumbled. Caleb gave him a sad smile and shook his head.

"You just thought you were doin' the right thing," the older boy sighed. The physical contact helped Caleb read Dean's memories of the day before. "Too bad that woman has no belief in the supernatural. Even the tiniest doubts would have helped."

"Can you see what happened?" Jim wondered.

Caleb nodded. "The boys were brought together last night at the CPS building. Sam came into the room with a broken arm and bruised ribs, along with a massive amount of bruising. He claimed to have gotten into a fight but according to their caseworker, he was in some kind of accident. He admitted that it was his foster parents who'd done it to him. Dean told the woman the truth about the supernatural, what he knows at least. She called security and had him brought here. I'm not sure why he did that though."

Dean's eyes drooped as Caleb continued the light petting. The older boy sighed and let go. Dean's breathing slowed and he fell into a deep sleep, thanks to the cocktail of drugs.

"We'll have to come back tomorrow," Jim decided. "I'll request that they not drug him up so much so we can actually talk to him."

Caleb nodded slowly. He didn't want to leave his best friend here, even just overnight, but they didn't have a choice. Hopefully they'd get to talk to him tomorrow and if all went well they'd be driving up to Jim's farm on Friday with both of the brothers in the back seat.

* * *

Normally Sam loved school. He usually was able to quickly make one or two friends with the other "freaks" that no one wanted to give a second glance towards. He didn't even mind that his new school was a private school. Everyone had to wear the same uniform, so his ratty old clothes didn't make him stand out. He'd been forced to get a haircut, but that wasn't even so bad. His hair would grow out again. He was just happy it hadn't been his dad doing the cutting this time.

This school was a nightmare. Sam had been placed a grade above his age level. There had been no preparing him for the demanding level that school held its students too. The school was split into three buildings: K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Sam was the only ten-year-old in the whole school and the youngest in the fifth grade by almost six months. A few kids in his grade were even nearing thirteen. A few of the oldest kids in the school were already fifteen and six feet tall. Bigger than even Dean. And they enjoyed picking on the kids half their size. Which unfortunately included Sam.

On Monday morning Sam had discovered that he could, in fact, fit inside the medium-sized lockers at his new school. The fact the small boy was in a cast did nothing to deter the cruel bullies in the school.

At lunchtime, Sam discovered that the private school had an enormous cafeteria with multiple different restaurants serving food. Unfortunately he wasn't registered for free lunch and his foster parents had neglected to send him to school with money. He wasn't even able to read during the break because the bullies from earlier decided they weren't done with him yet.

After school Sam had made a mad dash for the place his foster mom had promised to be. He wasn't sure what was worse after the first day of school – his foster parents or the bullies at school.

Tuesday started off the same as Monday. Except this time Sam was shoved into the locker of a very sweaty football player and wasn't able to jimmy the lock open from the inside. He was much too embarrassed to call out for help, so he spent the first four class periods stuffed into the small space.

The locker was opened at lunchtime. The sweaty jock was quite confused about the tiny kid he found trapped in his locker, but didn't say anything. Sam hurried away to his own locker. He decided to skip the cafeteria completely and hide out by the tree line for the forty-minute lunch break. He managed to complete his homework for the next four classes in this time since he hadn't been able to do any last night after getting home from the meeting with Dean.

He made it through the last four classes without any major issues. In his English class the kid behind him kicked his seat for the full forty minutes. Thankfully that was his only annoyance, until the final bell rang.

His foster mother was waiting where she promised. She waited until she was able to pull away from the school before speaking to Sam. "I got a phone call from the school today. Apparently you skipped your first four classes." Sam shivered at the ice in her voice. "Care to explain?"

Sam took a deep breath. "I was trapped in a locker," he whispered.

She laughed, a terrible, wicked sound to the ten-year-old's ears. "Ah, a classic. We'll have to invest in one after we get custody of you on Friday."

Sam whipped his head around to face her. "What?"

Maria glared at him. "Your father left. He's not going to be given custody of either you or your brother. If he ever shows up here again, he'll be arrested on site. Your precious brother is locked up in a psych ward and it's unlikely he'll be allowed anywhere near you if they even release him. Once we have custody of you we're moving away and you'll never see the light of day again."

Sam shivered. "You can't do that," he breathed, voice weak and terrified. "I'll tell them _everything_. I still have to testify, too."

Maria snorted, eyes flashing black. "You tell a soul and we'll guarantee you'll never see your brother again. Our job is to keep you until the plans are set in motion. Whether Dean lives or not really doesn't matter for what's planned. In fact, I think it'd be better if he was completely out of the picture. Others want him to stay alive because they think you'll be more willing if he was. So I guess it's up to you, Samuel. You'll keep quiet and I'll let your big brother live."

Sam looked away. "What _are_ you?" he whispered.

Maria just laughed again as she pulled up the driveway. "Kyle's waiting. You've still got to be punished for the call we got. Skipping classes is a very bad thing to do."

* * *

**I'm so sorry. I just love hurt!Sam so much. Let me know what you think! I'll be posting again pretty soon I hope. Maybe within a week, or less. I've got ideas for the rest of the story. I just need the time to actually write them out!**

**By the way ~ I'm no psychologist and I've never been to a psych hospital/ward. I made it all up with some help from Wikipedia. There are probably technical terms for what I wrote, but I sadly don't have time to do all that research. So just enjoy this work of fiction and don't take my psychology as law! That is all ^_^**

**Reviews are loved :) They make me right faster too! Have a great week everyone!**

**-Kris-**


	7. Wednesday

**I'm so sorry I took so long to post this! I started it write after last chapter, but college keeps getting in the way. **

**Shout-out to my lovely reviewers! Y'all make my day ^_^**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Caleb felt his weakened connection with the youngest Winchester strengthen as he got closer to the huge fancy house the boy's foster family called home. As he got closer he started to feel the pain and fear Sam was experiencing. Caleb cursed and pressed his foot down a little bit harder on the gas pedal. The connection was nowhere near as strong as it should be. Dean was a few miles away and the connection with the older Winchester was still completely clear. It felt as though the younger brother was being blocked from him somehow. It was only because of Caleb's intense focus on their bond that he could feel the boy at all. Dean was right, something supernatural was definitely going on here.

Dean was awake and mostly with it. He was still bound to the bed at the hospital and still lightly drugged. Travis had managed to talk with Dean before Jim and Caleb arrived earlier this morning. The doctor still felt Dean was a danger to both himself and others (which Caleb had to admit to himself he most definitely was thanks to the boy's upbringing). Some cops had brought by the boy's police record and Travis taking no chances. Jim revealed who he really was and that he intended to gain custody of Travis' patient on Friday. The doctor agreed to ease up on the drugs but refused to release the teen until Jim was legally his guardian. Travis also promised he would move Dean to a less secure wing if the boy answered some questions and proved he was no longer a major threat.

The large house came into view. Caleb whistled. Sure, he had grown up in the lap of luxury once the world-famous Mackland Ames had adopted him, but he knew Sammy had never even imagined setting foot in a place this nice. Caleb's home with Max wasn't even this fancy.

A pink Smartcar sat in front of the house. Caleb pulled up behind it and shifted his jeep into park. The brothers' caseworker climbed out of the small car. Caleb did so as well, grinning at the woman. "You must be Jennie," he stated, walking over to her.

Jennie frowned at him. "And you are…?"

"Caleb Reaves," Caleb answered. "I heard about the call you guys got. Sam's like a brother to me. I wanted to make sure he's okay. Dean's quite upset right now and begged me to come by. He think's you'll need some back-up."

Jennie nodded slowly. "It's not protocol… but I'll permit it since my partner couldn't come." She'd gone in to visit Dean at the hospital earlier as well, before Jim and Caleb were permitted to come in. Dean had looked awful restrained to the bed and drugged. She'd ordered Travis to take him off the drugs but not to release him from the hospital. Dean had begged her for word on Sam and she had caved, promising to visit the younger boy today and report back later tonight. The teen had visibly relaxed at her promise.

"Come with me and follow my lead," Jennie instructed. She led the young man up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Nearly two minutes went by before the door was pulled open.

"Marie Bentz?" Jennie asked. The woman nodded. Jennie flashed her ID card. "I'm Jennie Renolds, from Child Protective Services. We are here to do a home inspection and to talk with Sam. As you know, the boy's trial is on Friday and I want to hear from him how he is doing here."

"It's one in the afternoon," Marie pointed out. "Sam's in school."

Jennie frowned. "I got a call from his school that Sam wasn't there today," he stated. "And I would like to talk with him. Now."

"He's out with my husband," Marie tried, eyes flashing black just long enough for Caleb to notice.

"Then I'll do my home inspection and wait for their return," Jennie decided. "I can always call down to the police station and have them escort me in. Of course, we will be forced to remove Sam from your care if it comes to that."

Marie sighed. "Come in, then."

She stepped away from the door. Caleb felt his connection to Sam strengthen as soon as he stepped through the doorway. "Where is your bathroom, Ma'am?" Caleb asked.

Marie pointed down the hall. "Third door on the left."

Caleb nodded and left Jennie with the woman. He made his way down the hall and out of sight. Instead of going into the bathroom, he went a bit further down the hall and found a locked door. His bond with Sam was leading him here, so he quickly picked the lock. It was a wooden staircase down to the basement. Caleb hurried down and stopped in front of a cage.

"Sammy?" he whispered. The boy looked up, feverish eyes momentarily meeting Caleb's. There was no recognition there. Caleb cursed. "Hang in there, kiddo. I'll trap the bitch and get you out of here."

Caleb found a can of black spray-paint. He quickly drew a Devil's Trap on the ground and covered it with a tarp. He glanced over at Sam and went back upstairs, locking the door behind him. Jennie and Marie were talking in the kitchen.

"What's with the locked door?" Caleb questioned.

Marie glared at him.

"I need to see in every room, Mrs. Bentz," Jennie requested. "Especially if you have a basement or attic."

"Fine," Marie snapped. She led them to the basement door and unlocked it. Caleb grinned when she stepped onto the tarp.

Caleb flipped on a light. Jennie's attention immediately went to the small cage in the corner of the room. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, rushing over.

"Oh no you don't!" Marie snapped. She held out her hand, planning to use powers to stop the CPS woman. She groaned when they didn't work.

"_Demon," _Caleb spat. "What did you do to him?"

Marie's eyes went solid black. "Hunter!"

Caleb smirked. "You messed with the wrong family. I hope you realize that."

Jennie's watched as Caleb began speaking in Latin. Marie started screaming. The caseworker's eyes widened when black smoke slithered out of the other woman's mouth. Marie fell to the ground, dead, once the black smoke disappeared.

"What was _that_?" Jennie asked.

"Demon," Caleb sighed. "It's a long story."

Jennie shook her head. "Dean already told me. Part of it at least. Damn, I put him in the psychiatric hospital and he was telling the truth?"

Caleb gave the woman a small smile, kneeling down in front of the cage. "It's not something people believe unless the witness it first hand," he informed her. "You were doing what you thought was right. Dean understands. Or he will, at least."

Jennie knelt down as well. Caleb picked the lock on the cage. "He's unconscious," the woman whispered.

Caleb nodded and carefully pulled Sam out. "We need to get him to the ER. I have no clue what happened, but when he was awake he didn't recognize me."

"It'll be faster to drive then it is to call for an ambulance," Jennie mused.

"I'll drive him," Caleb stated. "You need to get Dean to the ER. Sam's gonna need him."

Jennie's phone went off just then. "Hello? What? Oh, um, okay. I'm actually heading there right now anyway. No, check him out. I'll be keeping him at the children's hospital instead. I'm bringing his brother to the ER there anyway. It's a long story. Yeah. Thank you. Bye."

Jennie sighed. "Apparently Dean had a severe allergic reaction," she informed Caleb as they hurried out to the cars. "He was transferred to the children's hospital."

Caleb cursed again. He laid Sam in the back of his jeep. "He's allergic to penicillin," he stated. "Fuck it all. Let's go."

* * *

Sam was taken away the second Caleb got his jeep into park outside of the ER bay. Jennie had called ahead so that there would be a gurney and entire team waiting for their young patient. Jennie was stuck filling out paperwork while Caleb requested information on Dean. The staff refused to answer his questions until Jennie gave permission to the hospital to release the information to Caleb. Finally, after nearly two hours of waiting, a nurse came to bring Caleb to Dean's hospital room. Sam was still in surgery.

"He's currently on oxygen therapy," the nurse, Sarah, informed both Caleb and Jennie. "He had an allergic reaction to one of the medicines that St. Mary's provided. Apparently there was a mix-up with the drugs and Dean received another patient's dose. He did stop breathing for a few minutes, but as far as we can tell there is no lasting damage except for some temporary breathing difficulty. The oxygen therapy is just a preventative measure. We have him on a mask right now, and he needs to keep it on. Although I'm sure he'll want to talk, he's been asking for Caleb – which I'm assuming is you – ever since he got here. I can talk to his doctor and see about putting him on a nasal cannula instead. Ah, here we are."

Caleb had a million questions, but they all flew out of his mind half a second after seeing Dean laying in the hospital bed. The boy was a mix between depressed and pissed. Any other time Caleb would have snorted and teased him about it.

"Sam-my?" the teenager managed to ask.

"The runt's in surgery," Caleb answered. He pulled up a chair next to Dean's bed. "He's pretty messed up, to be honest. Don't talk, not right now. It was demons. I excorzied the one in the woman, but the man wasn't around. They'll probably keep Sam in ICU overnight, once he's out of surgery."

Jennie came over after that. "I've made arrangements for you to remain here until the trial is over," she announced. "Sam will be brought down as soon the doctors decide he is in stable enough condition."

The nurse appeared a moment later, followed by Dean's doctor, Dr. Wilson. The older woman smiled at her young patient. "You certainly look more relaxed now than you did later," she teased.

Dean actually grinned. He moved the mask off his face. "Caleb's here. And they told me about Sammy."

The doctor nodded. "Ah, Sam. The little brother." She unwrapped a nasal cannula. "I'm switching you to this. That way you don't have to wear the mask anymore. But you have to promise to take it easy still."

Dean nodded enthusiastically. He hated not being able to grill Caleb for information.

Doctor Wilson grinned at Dean and fixed him up with the nasal cannula. She offered him a cup of water. "Small sips, for now. I have some good news for you. Sam's out of surgery. He's not conscious right now. The surgeon is keeping him up in ICU for at least a few hours. If nothing changes we'll move him down here later tonight. I know you'll feel better if he's close, and I'm sure you'll help him more than any of the ICU staff could. Sarah will bring you and Caleb some supper, just tell her what you'd like. Unfortunately Caleb will have to leave at nine, but he can come back tomorrow morning at eight. If you need me, just press the call button. Otherwise I'll be back in a few hours."

"Thanks," Dean replied with a small yawn.

"Take a nap, dude," Caleb suggested. "You need your beauty sleep."

Dean just rolled his eyes in response. He leaned back and pulled the scratchy hospital blanket closer to his chin. Just a short nap, then dinner…

* * *

**I wanted to write more but I could easily do another 2k words and it would take even longer so I figured I'd let y'all have this for now and I will get the next chapter out... Sometime soon. Last two-and-a-half weeks of school and all right now. And I found out it's Greek Week *shoot me now*.**

**Reviews are highly encouraged! It's what inspires me to write sooner after all :)**

**Ahhh who else thinks Sam's gonna do something really stupid in the next few episodes, all to help Dean? **

**Have an amazing week!**

**-Kris-**


	8. Thursday

**I AM SO SO SO SO SO SORRY.**

**Thank you all for reviewing and waiting! Please enjoy.**

* * *

Sam was brought to Dean's hospital room sometime Thursday afternoon. Caleb had shown up exactly at eight in the morning with a bag of donuts, hash browns, and good news. Jennie had spoken to the judge after all the events yesterday and informed him that the best possible place for the brothers to live would be with their Uncle Jim. The judge would spend Thursday calling the pastor's references before he would agree to sign the guardianship papers, but there was no doubt in Caleb's mind that Dean and Sam would be heading up to Jim's once the boys were cleared to leave the hospital.

Dean had dozed throughout the morning while Caleb channel surfed. As soon as Sam was wheeled into the room on a gurney, Dean was wide awake. Caleb helped him down onto a wheelchair so he could sit next to Sam's bed.

"On Sunday Mrs. Bentz brought Sam in with a broken arm," the boy's doctor informed the two teenagers once Dean was within reach of his brother. "She'd claimed it was a hit-and-run, but now there is suspicion it was actually caused by the husband. Sam has significant bruising, lacerations, and blood loss. He was severely dehydrated and starved. There was damage done to his head, but I won't know to what extent until he wakes up and talks. His right ankle was sprained and his right leg broken. The left arm was also re-broken. It appears that he had sustained much of this damage in a fall down a long flight of stairs. A few of the wounds had been infected. Currently he has IV's for fluids, pain medicine, and antibiotics. It'll probably be another few hours before he wakes up, but he should wake sometime today. Please call me as soon as he wakes up. I'll be back in a few hours as well. Should you boys need anything before then, don't hesitate to use the call button."

Dean just stared at Sam for a few minutes after the doctor left. Caleb was silent as well, shocked at how close to death Sam had been. If only he had shown up sooner, maybe Sam wouldn't be so bad off. He'd known Sam was hurting. He should have just gone with his instincts.

"Not your fault," Dean mumbled. He looked up at Caleb. "I know you, what you're thinking right now. But you're wrong. You saved him. You saved Sammy's life, man. I owe you."

Dean looked back at his baby brother. Sam's face was terrifyingly pale. A tube ran down his throat and hooked into a machine. IVs were running into both arms. A thin blanket had been placed and tucked up to his armpits. There was no movement behind Sam's eyes, but at least there was a shallow rise and fall of his chest. He was completely relaxed, a sight Dean hadn't seen in a long time.

"He's my responsibility," Dean continued, his voice low and pained. "I let him get hurt. I let him get taken away from me. It's my fault CPS was called in the first place. This is my fault, not yours."

Caleb sighed. He sat on the edge of Sam's bed and waited for Dean to look back at him. The teen's eyes were bloodshot and he looked to be about to cry. "Ace, none of that's true. It's on John. It started all those years ago when he first put you in charge of Sam. You shouldn't have had that kind of responsibility! He's the one who leaves his children alone in shady motels and takes them out on dangerous hunts. He's the one who risks the lives of the only family he has left on a regular basis. He shouldn't have been gone. You boys shouldn't have had to grow up on the road like you did. You've done your best, and Sam knows that. He wouldn't blame you for this and he wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

A tear slid down Dean's face. He looked down as more followed. "But what if he's not okay? What if those damn demons caused him brain damage? Dad will never forgive me for letting Sammy get so hurt. _I'll_ never forgive me."

"Sam will pull through, Dean," Caleb promised. "He has you for a big brother, after all. And forget about John. Jim's the only one you'll be answering to, and he won't blame you for this."

Dean took a shuddering breath. Caleb stood. "I'll go get us some lunch. I'll be back soon."

As soon as Caleb left, Dean broke down. He put his head on Sam's bed and sobbed.

Sam didn't show signs of waking until well after dinner. Caleb had permission to spend the night with the boys. Two cops were stationed outside the door and another three wandered the halls. Sam's foster father was still on the loose and had a warrant out for his arrest. Caleb had managed to sneak in a blessed knife and a container of hold water, for safety. Policemen were not going to stop the demon.

The boys' night nurse had just left when Dean heard Sam moan. Once again Caleb helped him over to his brother's bed, after flipping the lights back on. Soon enough Sam's eyes were wide open and panicked. Soft restraints kept Sam's arms pinned to the mattress, but the boy still thrashed in terror. Caleb slammed the button by the bed while Sam choked on the tube down his throat.

Not even thirty seconds later two nurses and the night doctor rushed into the room. The doctor removed the tube and replaced it with an oxygen mask.

"Welcome back, Sam," the female doctor – Doctor Ashley – greeted. "How are you feeling?"

Sam blinked and swallowed, tense. He turned his head until Dean entered his vision. He instantly relaxed.

"Sammy?" Dean asked. "It's okay, we're safe now. You're safe."

Tears filled the younger boy's eyes.

"Sam, honey?" one of the nurses asked. "We need you to answer a few questions for us."

Dean nodded once. He brushed away a few tears that leaked down his brother's pale face.

"On a scale from one to ten, how bad is the pain?" Doctor Ashley asked as she lifted Sam's mask.

Sam opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out except for a small noise. He frowned and tried again, panicked eyes meeting Dean's when he realized he couldn't speak. Before long his whole face was wet from the tears.

"Shhhh, Sammy," Dean whispered. "It's okay, little brother. We'll figure this out."

The nurses free Sam's hands. "Sam, hold up your finger for me. How bad is the pain?" the doctor requested.

Sam held up seven fingers, his hands shaking as he did so. Ashley nodded and turned to one the nurses. "Go prepare some morphine." Ashley turned back to Sam. "I'll just ask yes and no questions. Okay? Nod for yes, shake your head for no. Understand?" Sam nodded. "Good. Do you remember what happened before waking up just now?" Sam shook his head. "Not surprising. You were injured pretty badly. Does your throat hurt?" Sam shook his head again. "Are you hungry?" Head shake. "Thirsty?" Sam nodded this time. "Okay, we'll give you a bit of water and some pain reliever. Some more rest will help, too. Tomorrow we'll try talking again."

The second nurse brought over a small cup with water. Dean took it from her and held it up to Sam's lips. Sam took a few small sips before turning his head away. The first nurse returned with the morphine and added it to his IV.

"I'll be back in the morning," Doctor Ashley promised. "Call me if you need me before then. Dean, I want you back in your bed to sleep."

Sam was out cold before the doctor even left the room. Caleb helped Dean to the other bed. It wasn't long before the older Winchester was deep in sleep. Caleb relaxed in his chair and allowed sleep to claim him too.

* * *

**Again, I'm so sorry. Life and whatnot. My goal is to finish by the end of the summer. I've really only got a couple of chapters left, and I already know how I'm going to end the story. The next chapter should be longer. I just really wanted to get something out for you all. **

**Thank you all for your reviews and your patience! I love you all.**

**~ Peace and love ~**

**Kris**


	9. Friday

**I'M SO SORRY.**

**I suck. I know that. But I just couldn't get this chapter written, and my summer was quite busy, and the little demons in my head kept me from writing. But here it is, finally.**

**I KNOW LITTLE ABOUT MEDICINE AND NOTHING ABOUT HOSPITALS.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Friday morning brought a vicious thunderstorm. It was so bad the windows shook and the hospital was running on a backup generator. One of the earlier rumbles of thunder woke Dean up. Caleb was already wide awake, working on his second coffee of the morning. A particularly loud crash woke the youngest Winchester up.

Dean locked eyes with his little brother right away. "Caleb," he groaned, seeing the intense fear in his brother's eyes. "Help me over to him."

Caleb helped Dean across the hospital room and up into Sam's bed. Dean positioned himself behind Sam and let his brother rest against his chest. Sam shook as the storm continued to strengthen, fear in his young eyes.

"I gotcha, little brother," Dean promised. "I won't let anyone separate us again. You're safe here, with me and Caleb."

"Of course, kiddo," Caleb agreed. He pressed the nurse call button behind Sam's bed.

Sam made a pained noise as a strike of lightening lit up the sky outside. A nurse appeared at the door right after.

"Good morning, boys!" she greeted. "How are we feeling today?"

Sam closed his eyes and turned his head into Dean's chest. Dean sighed, running a hand through his brother's long hair.

"Well, I'm hungry," the older Winchester sighed.

"Well, I can hook you boys up with some breakfast once I get vitals taken," the nurse stated. Dean nodded. Sam refused to look at the nurse while she took both his and Dean's vitals. "Good news, I can take out your fluid IV this morning."

Sam flinched when the nurse pulled out the needle and pressed a band-aide to the broken skin. Dean whispered nonsense into his ear during the quick job.

"Alright, we have bacon and eggs or oatmeal, water or orange juice or apple juice, and a banana or apple," the nurse announced.

"I'll take the bacon and eggs, OJ, and apple," Dean stated. "Sammy?"

Sam just shook his head.

"Sam, you have to eat and keep down three meals before we can release you to your guardian," the nurse said.

"Let's try the oatmeal, water, and banana," Dean requested. "I'll get him to eat."

The nurse grinned at Dean. "Sure thing."

After the nurse left, Dean and Caleb dedicated all their attention to the injured boy, trying to distract him from the raging storm. Dean couldn't remember if they were in tornado alley or not, but right now it sure felt like it. Tears were streaming down Sam's face as he sobbed silently. Kid always had a fear of bad storms.

"Hey, Sammy, it's okay," Dean soothed. Sam sniffled, but remained silent.

"Sam, can you say something?" Caleb suddenly requested, remembering that Sam had yet to speak since he'd found him in the basement. Fear filled the younger boy's eyes as he looked around the room.

"Hey, easy, kiddo," Dean whispered. "No one's gonna hurt you for talkin'. That's what this is about, right?"

Sam raised an arm up to his throat. "Hur's," he choked out. His voice was terribly raspy and dry and both of the older boys could clearly see the pain that one word caused.

"Okay, you don't gotta talk," Dean stated. "Not 'til you're throat heals."

Sam rested his head against Dean's chest again. He closed his eyes and dozed lightly. Dean carded his fingers through his brother's hair gently, eyes on Caleb.

"At least he'll be able to talk," he older teen stated. Dean nodded, guilt clear on his face. "He'll heal up just fine. It'll take a while, no doubt about that. But Sam _will_ get better. He has you to nurse him back to health, after all."

"Any you," Dean added. "I mean, you gotta finish up this semester but you'll come to Jim's for the summer, right?"

Caleb nodded, grinning wide. "Of course. And I'll be there over Spring Break."

"I thought you and your friends were goin' to some resort," Dean mumbled.

Caleb shook his head. "Nah, man. I was planning on being with you guys anyway. Gotta give Jim a break from the terrible duo that is the Winchester boys."

Dean flashed the older teen a smirk. "Not interested in the sexy co-eds?"

Caleb rolled his eyes. "You guys are way more important to me than any girl. Now quit it with these chick-flick moments!"

Another nurse walked in just as the boys fell silent, pushing a cart. She put both plates on the tray attached to Sam's bed. "Breakfast in bed, boys!" she sang. "If you need anything, push the call button!"

The nurse left. Dean and Caleb rolled their eyes at each other. Dean gently shook Sam awake. "C'mon, kiddo," he whispered. "Breakfast is here."

Sam woke up instantly. He tensed in Dean's arms before remembering where he was. "De…" he mumbled sleepily. The pain from speaking woke him up pretty quickly.

"Gotta eat, Sammy," Dean ordered. "Soon as you eat three meals we can get you outa here."

Sam shakily reached up and grabbed a plastic spoon. He dipped it into the slightly-runny oatmeal and managed a bite. Both Dean and Caleb gave him such a big grin that the boy managed to keep it down and continue with the entire bowl. Dean dug into his own breakfast with gusto.

As soon as he finished his water, Sam gave Dean his puppy-eyes. Dean just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Sleep, little brother. I'm not going anywhere."

Sam was fast asleep before the nurse returned to collect their trays, the banana forgotten next to the empty oatmeal.

* * *

Sam fell in and out of sleep throughout the day. Their doctor had come in and announced Dean healthy enough to be discharged, but he assured the boy he wouldn't have to leave his brother. All it took was one panicked look from Sam for the doctor to become putty in the Winchester boys' hands.

Lunch went poorly. Sam refused to eat. He accepted water, but turned his head away from the offered soup. The nurse gave Dean and Caleb a sad smile, letting them know Sam wouldn't be released today since he refused lunch.

Caleb left for a little while around suppertime and brought back burgers and fries. The nurses frowned but didn't comment when they found Sam munching on a grilled chicken sandwich with extra veggies, a smile on the boy's face. Dean himself moaned around his extra-juicy bacon cheeseburger without anything green. Caleb was beyond pleased with both of the boys' responses.

The older two boys played chess after dinner, using Sam's bed as a table. Sam watched, smirked at how badly his big brother was losing. He couldn't stand a chance against Caleb even if the older teen wasn't psychic.

The night doctor made Caleb leave for the night once visitor's hours were over. He promised to return with Jim Saturday morning. If all went well, Sam would be released and they could head on up to Jim's home to start the next part of their lives.

Dean had all the faith in the world that they would be leaving tomorrow. He wanted to be as far away as possible from this town and all the bad memories. Even Sam was looking forward to leaving. He loved Jim's farm.

Saturday couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

**I don't know much about extended hospital stays and whatnot, so don't quote me on any of this. **

**I'm planning on just one more chapter, to be posted much sooner than this one was. **

**Thank you all for sticking around this long! I love you all.**

**-Kris-**


	10. Saturday and Epilogue

**Hey guys! So, sorry for the long wait. But I'm here with the FINAL chapter. Finally, I know. Enjoy!**

* * *

Saturday morning found a nurse opening the thick curtain on the boys' hospital room windows. Bright sunlight poured in. The windows were pushed up and the Winchester brothers woke to the sound of birds chirping. Sam relaxed into the familiar hold of his big brother.

"Good morning, boys!" their favorite nurse, Kelly, exclaimed. "Same routine as yesterday. I need to get some vitals and then we'll get you boys some breakfast. As long as Sam eats breakfast and lunch, you boys can leave today. Caleb's been waiting downstairs since I got here at six. The doctor here today wants to talk to you both before we let Caleb and Jim up. So am I doing you first again, Dean?"

Dean nodded with a smile. He held out his right arm. "Thought you weren't gonna be here today."

Kelly grinned. "I asked to switch with Laurie today. I just _know_ you boys will be leaving today and I wanted to be the one to give you the good news later." She looked at Sam and winked. "Right, Sam? You just gotta get through breakfast and lunch and you'll get the best news I can possibly offer you!"

Sam nodded, a small smile on his face. Kelly finished up with Dean and moved onto Sam. "Today we have bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs, pancakes or French toast, and bananas or apples," Kelly announced. "And apple or orange juice."

"Bacon and French toast, please," Dean requested.

"Gotta have a fruit, Dean," Kelly smirked.

Dean sighed. "Apple, I guess. Same for the juice."

"Sam?" Kelly asked.

"What do you want, Sammy?" Dean asked.

Sam bit his lip. He opened his mouth and attempted to speak. Painful noises were all that came out.

"I'll get the doctor to check out his throat again later," Kelly promised.

"Get Sammy the sausage and French toast," Dean decided. "And the banana and apple juice."

Kelly looked at Sam. "Sound good to you?"

Sam nodded, a hand on his throat.

"I'll get your order in the kitchen, then," Kelly said. She scribbled on their charts. "See you two later!"

"Does it hurt, Sammy?" Dean asked, motioning to Sam's throat.

Sam nodded. He leaned against Dean's chest and shut his eyes, huffing softly.

Dean spent the next twenty minutes telling his brother what they would do at Pastor Jim's house for the next few months. Before they knew it there breakfast had arrived. Sam shakily fed himself, eating just over half his food before feeling full. Kelly had come back in and grinned when she saw the progress he made.

"Okay boys, Doctor Anne is ready to talk to you," the nurse announced. "Can we let her in?"

The brothers nodded. An older woman entered the room. "Hello Dean, Sam," she greeted. "I am Doctor Anne. I just wanted to come and see how everything was doing. Sam, Kelly was telling me that you are having some trouble talking, is that right?" Sam nodded. "Okay, I'm gonna fell around your throat. I want you to try talking to us while I do so. Try reciting the Pledge of Allegiance for me. Ready?"

Sam nodded again. Dr. Anne placed her fingers on Sam's throat. Sam tried speaking, but only managed some awkward squeaking noises.

"I think there might be some damage or bruising in here," Anne announced. "I'll look over the x-rays and let you know for sure. Other than that, I think you'll be good to go once you eat lunch. I'll be back after lunch with prescriptions and instructions. If you need anything before that, just call. I know your friends are waiting to come in so I'll go get them now."

The doctor left. Dean flicked on the TV and channel surfed until Caleb and Pastor Jim were allowed in the room about fifteen minutes later. Caleb grinned and flopped down on the small hospital bed, pulling Sam onto his lap and throwing an arm around Dean.

"Gross, Caleb," Dean mumbled but doing nothing to remove the arm.

"Hey, I almost lost my two favorite people," Caleb responded. "So I'm gonna get in as many chick-flick moments as I can, while I still can."

Jim took a seat next to the bed. "Anne said that you boys can come home with me after you eat lunch."

Dean nodded. "I can't wait. I want to get away from this area."

Sam nodded as well. He curled up into Caleb and closed his eyes.

"I've decided to stay at Jim's this summer," Caleb announced. "Since you two will actually be there."

"You don't have to give up your plans for us," Dean argued.

"Nah," Caleb replied, dismissing the thought. "I'm not. I miss you guys. And we'll be able to go places. I know you'd love to visit the rock-and-roll hall of fame and Sam would kill to get into the Museum of Natural History. We'll work on your baseball skills too, so that you can try out for the high school team next year."

Tears filled the older Winchester's eyes. "You mean it?"

"Hey, you know me, I don't lie to you," Caleb promised. "Sammy's gonna get to live as real a life as possible now. You too. And we can take some weekend hunts even, you and me."

Dean grinned and ran a hand over his eyes. "Sounds awesome. Can I drive the jeep?"

"Not even in your dreams, Winchester," Caleb snorted. "Drive my jeep! Think I'm crazy?"

"Guy's gotta try," Dean shrugged, yawning. "But thanks. For everything."

"That's what family's for, Ace," Caleb replied as Dean closed his eyes and his breathing evened out. "Family doesn't always end in blood."

* * *

"Damn, Dean, that'd be a homerun!" Caleb exclaimed. He wiped sweat off his face and watched as Sam ran back towards him with the baseball.

"Nah, probably just a triple," Dean argued. He laughed when Sam collapsed in front of Caleb, breathing hard.

"I'm so… done…" Sam coughed. He grinned over at Dean. "Totally… home run."

Dean dropped the baseball bat and ran over to his brother, helping him stand. "If you say so, squirt."

Sam took a couple of deep breaths to steady his breathing. Caleb stood by just in case he collapsed. It wouldn't be the first time since they came to stay at Jim's farm.

Both of the brothers had healed nicely since their run-in with CPS and the disaster that followed. Dean now adamantly refuses any medication unless he himself is the one to open the unsealed container. He also carefully reads all information he can find about whatever drug he's been given. Jim even invested in a series of medical books that have every known drug and all information available on them so Dean feels more comfortable around medicine. Dean has to see a heart specialist twice a month for the rest of the year since his heart did stop beating after his reaction at the mental hospital. He and Sam both see a counselor that Jim trusts and knows about the supernatural world. Sam sees both a speech therapist and a physical therapist twice a week. His ability to speak has come back very slowly and with the therapy he should be speaking like his old self in a year or two. Sam's arm and leg have since healed, but his muscles are still pretty week so the physical therapist encourages him to use them as much as possible.

"Caleb!" Jim yelled from inside the house. "Come get some iced tea for you and the boys! We'll be leaving in about two hours for Sam's birthday dinner."

Sam grinned. "I'm so excited!" They'd be meeting up with some of his friends from school and their families for bowling and dinner at the attached restaurant. It'll be Sam's first birthday party ever and he was so excited for it.

Caleb laughed and jogged inside. Dean laid down on the grass and stared up at the sky. There was nowhere else he'd rather be.

"Dean?" Sam asked, lying beside his brother. "What's that noise?"

Dean frowned. Jim's farm was a little way outside of town, next to the church. But it was Tuesday and two in the afternoon. No one was supposed to be coming by today. No groups were meeting either, not this early.

"Maybe one of the old ladies coming to give you a birthday present?" Dean teased. The old ladies in the church loved Sam and spoiled him like crazy. Two of them had already come by earlier with gifts "from the ladies of the church".

"No one drives a car that loud," Sam pointed out. In the few months they'd been at Jim's, he'd come to know the people of the congregation and what cars they drove. This sounded like…

"The Impala?" Dean asked, shocked. He jumped up. Sam stood as well, hiding behind his brother as their father stopped the Impala a few feet in front of them.

John climbed out, looking the same as ever. He glared at the house then turned his gaze on the boys. "Dean, Sam, car. Now. We're leaving."

Sam started hyperventilating. He did not want to leave. He was finally living a normal life. He wasn't terrified of being killed, or Dean being killed, every single day. He was doing well in school and with therapy and Caleb was there and…

"No," Dean stated. He took a step back, towards the house.

"What did you say to me?" John demanded, moving towards his boys. HIS.

"No, we're not leaving!" Dean yelled. Caleb dropped the tray of iced tea on the porch and ran to push John away from the brothers. Jim stood on the porch, calmly holding a rifle in rest position.

"I'm your father," John stated. "You boys are coming back with me. We've got to find the demon that killed Mary."

Dean shook his head. "No. We're happy here. Sammy's happy. And safe. We're not leaving. You can't make us, either. You lost that right months ago. You can't just show up after all this time and expect us to happily leave with you."

"I don't care if you're happy," John snapped. "You are my sons and I will take you with me."

"Never again," Dean decided. "You were never a father to us. Jim's been more of a dad in three months than you have in fifteen years. "

"John, it's time for you to leave," Jim ordered. "Once you leave I will be calling the police and reporting this. I would recommend getting as far away as you can."

Caleb pulled the brothers back up to the porch. Dean hugged Sam closely to his side. Caleb placed a protective hand on both boys' shoulders.

John glared at Jim. "You'll pay for taking my boys from me."

"You did this to yourself, John," Jim replied. "Leave me property. You are not welcome back here."

John cursed as he climbed into the Impala. As soon as he left Jim returned inside the house to call the police. Tears streamed down Sam and Dean's faces. Caleb hugged them both.

"You… did it!" Sam managed to say through the tears.

"You stood up to your Dad, Dean," Caleb added, pride in his voice. "I know that wasn't easy for you."

Dean took a few shaky breaths before pulling away from Caleb. "Happy birthday, Sammy."

Sam grinned through his tears. "This is… the best birthday… ever," he stated. "Thank you. I… love you, De'."

"Love you too, Sammy."

* * *

**THE END. I hope you enjoyed this ride. Again, I apologize for the wait. But I've finally gotten back to writing and being in the right mindset to write and I figured this should be the first thing I do. So I hope you enjoyed the story.**

**Thank you so much for reading and commenting on my story. I'll be attempting to continue my other Supernatural story now that this one is finished. As always, I'd love to hear from you all! Especially if you have any ideas you'd like to see in my de-aged Sam and Gabriel story.**

**Have a great day!**

**-Kris-**


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